Experts: Child-abuse Outreach Agency Neglected

March 13, 1986|by MARCIA COYLE, The Morning Call

Child abuse researchers and counselors yesterday accused the Reagan administration of mismanagement and neglect of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, the federal government's primary outreach agency for services to abused children.

Their complaints came only a week after experts in the field of juvenile delinquency and a Pennsylvania senator also voiced strong criticism of the administration's handling of federal juvenile justice programs.

In both cases, criticisms focus on an alleged lack of commitment to goals set by Congress in federal legislation, understaffing, underfunding, and private political agendas being carried out through the programs.

New York Democratic Rep. Ted Weiss, chairman of the House subcommittee on intergovernmental relations and human resources, yesterday asked for input from social service providers in the wake of his own subcommittee's investigation of the administration's efforts.

"Many decisions to fund programs for abused and neglected children are based on the whims of the assistant secretary, who overrules the recommendations of experts in the field," Weiss said. "The effectiveness of federal child-abuse programs is being undercut by a series of penny-wise but pound-foolish decisions."

The official Weiss referred to is Dorcas Hardy, assistant secretary for human development in the Department of Health and Human Services. Hardy, who was asked to testify but did not because of a schedule conflict, oversees the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN).

Although requests for NCCAN grants to provide child abuse services or research are ranked and rated to establish priorities, Weiss said, Hardy has been approving at least 50 percent of the grants out of order and with no justification other than it is her decision.

Dr. J. Lawrence Aber, assistant professor of psychology at Barnard College and Columbia University, told the subcommittee that the 50 percent rate was "dramatically" higher than other federal agencies. He warned that approving grants without respect to merit or need would have a chilling effect on serious research in the field of child abuse.

"Does the administration receive reviews which fairly accurately rank proposals based on scientific merit, but then fund proposals out of order in response to other political or public policy considerations?" Aber asked. "In my opinion, NCCAN is drastically out of touch with the research community and the research community is drastically out of touch with NCCAN."

Thomas L. Birch, legislative counsel to the National Child Abuse Coalition, told the subcommittee that the administration, since 1981, has tried to reduce the effectiveness of NCCAN in the following ways:

- Isolating NCCAN by eliminating opportunities for federal experts to offer technical assistance and to exchange information with experts in the field.

"NCCAN has from the beginning represented a small commitment by the federal government to offer some leadership in the fight to prevent and treat child abuse," Birch said. "The staff at NCCAN is devoted to its mission, but it cannot succeed at the task given the obstacles thrown in its way by the administration."

Weiss asked Birch and others whether they thought there was an "ideological component" to what was happening at NCCAN. He referred to a recent magazine article by former Education Secretary T.H. Bell in which Bell cited constant interference by extreme-right groups trying to influence the administration's education policies.

"I'm not sure," Birch responded. "Having spent some time in this field, I do know that within the last seven to eight years, within the extreme right, there is an element that regards child protective services as dangerous."

NCCAN's director, Helen Howerton, also did not appear before Weiss' subcommittee yesterday, even though invited. Legislative counsel to the Department of Health and Human Services informed Weiss that the director is considered a junior civil servant and as such Howerton could not represent the department on policy issues.

However, Dodie Livingston, commissioner for the department's Administration for Children, Youth and Families, did appear to defend what she said is a "good effort" by NCCAN.

"NCCAN is using the tools at its disposal to generate knowledge and disseminate information to the professional and lay public," she said.

Weiss, however, was visibly dissatisfied with administration responses during the hearing.

"Throughout this oversight investigation, the department has attempted to thwart our efforts," he said.